Carte Blanche tonight

Below is from their Facebook

The sport of bush racing is controlled by gangs and takes brutal toll on retired horses that are literally raced to death. Why has nothing been done to end the cruelty? John Webb has the story.

That’s Carte Blanche this Sunday at 7pm on M-Net, DStv channel 101, and again at 8pm on M-Net Plus 1 channel 901.
You can also watch the show live on the DStv Now app from 7pm.

This is a burning issue amongst non racing (and some) racing folk. I hope they interviewed the powers that be at NHRA and elicit commitments and agree on follow up dates.

The NHRA battle to implement their own rules and regulations at the best of times and do no more than pay lip service to bush racing. I too hope this changes but won't hold my breath. It would seem some owners and trainers sell there horses on knowing full well where they will end up. Truly sad and disgusting.

makes me wonder about the timing of the press release re retiring horses by the nhra - reactive?

Racing NSW has the perfect solution....

THEY race for fame and glory, and riches for their connections, but some are simply put out to pasture once their best galloping days are over.

Now the state’s thoroughbreds are guaranteed a decent­ life away from the track, with Racing NSW today expected to unveil its new $5 million, 1050ha racehorse retirement home.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal racing bosses have bought Bandonora equestrian centre between Lithgow and Mudgee to retrain and rehouse retired racehorses.

Horses will be able to be retrained and retired to the property.
Champion mare Winx’s trainer Chris Waller yesterday welcomed the initiative.

“It is important that horses are well looked after from the day they are born until the day they die — this goes an extra step beyond what is already being done,” he said.

The racehorse retirement home stamps out any comparisons­ by animal rights groups between the thoroughbred industry and greyhound racing, which is being reformed after a string of scandals including reports of dogs being killed when they could no longer race.

“I don’t think there is an issue (in horse racing) but we need to make sure there never is,” Mr Waller said.

While many champion stallions and mares go on to breeding programs — usually housed at luxury studs — not all follow that path and geldings are particularly hard to rehome.

In September, Racing NSW announced a Horse Welfare Fund taking 1 per cent of prize money — about $2 million every year — to be put towards caring for retired racehorses.

At the time Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys said: “I believe that thoroughbred horses are one of the best looked after and cared for breed of animals by their owners and this program is just another initiative to continue­ the great work already being done.”

The retraining work at Bandonora, which was for sale with an asking price about $5 million, aims to ensure no thoroughbred slips through the net.

The new property has a state-of-the-art Olympic-sized dressage arena and stable­ complex, which will be used to train retired racehorses for active careers in show jumping, dressage and eventing.

Others will be retrained for new lives on the polo field or as paddock mates for other horses.

In some instances, as with Godolphin horse Valinorean, they are retrained to become­ police horses.

Although the property can happily house up to 500 retired­ racehorses in its vast paddocks, it will become a permanent home to a very select few — with others just passing through on their way to new lives.

A living legends stable will aim to house champion geldings, giving fans the chance to get up close to Group One horses such as Epsom handicap winner Hauraki and Winx’s biggest rival Hartnell.

Meanwhile, the 1890s-built homestead will be turned into a bed and breakfast for racehorse-loving ecotourists looking for organic cooking, trout fishing and 4WD holidays.

I hear the NHRA are moving further towards supporting euthanasia

OK, I'll bite.

I cannot speak for the NHA, but given the state of the economy and the fact that there is huge competition for homes after racing, I do not see why we have such a problem putting euthanasia on the table as a responsible option (and please note, I am only saying OPTION) at the end of a horse's racing career.

For some reason, euthanasia gets treated as a dirty word and it should not be.

In the same way that sending a horse to be slaughtered (at a registered abattoir) should not be a dirty word either. Obviously there are considerations such as medications and so on which might make a racing Thoroughbred unfit for consumption, but that's a slightly separate discussion.

We should talk about these things and we should also face up to the fact that they exist and that they are bona fide, responsible options. And we should not look down on anyone who chooses to exercise either of those options when it comes to their horse. It is a responsible choice and it eliminates any risk of that horse coming to any harm (or for a welfare mess to end up as front page news).

In many ways, it's far harder to choose a final option like that, than taking a gamble on homing a horse in the hope that 'it will probably land somewhere nice' and then simply forgetting about it and leaving it to its fate.

Now before I get shot, I'm not saying let's put down all our horses. But, we do need to be realistic.

The local Thoroughbred industry produces a shade over 3,000 foals per year.

Statistics reflect that Thoroughbreds make up 10% of the equid population in South Africa. That should give you some kind of idea as to their popularity in the world outside racing.

Our 10% (minus a few that die, go abroad, go to stud, etc), are competing against the other 90% for good second career homes, or, to put it slightly differently, out of every 10 homes out there, one is looking for a Thoroughbred. Those are scary numbers.

Ok, they're scary, but they are not insurmountable and every challenge also comes with an opportunity. In many ways, we have a 'boutique' or 'specialised' breed and we ought to use that to our advantage when we market them. Unfortunately we also need to acknowledge that our horses are purpose bred to be professional athletes and they are purpose bred to be handled by professionals. The majority of the world outside racing are not professionals. OK, that's hurdle no 1.

Hurdle no 2 is that our horses generally come off the track with a fair bit of mileage. Again, on the one hand, this is good - the horses have had a bit of work, been exposed to a few things and have a bit of mileage under their belt - in other words, whoever takes them on is not having to start right at the beginning and is at least looking at a horse that has been broken in, has had a bit of exposure and a bit of experience. It is very specific experience, or experience of very specific things - and this is not always desirable, but nevertheless, they come with a few basics installed.

Unfortunately racing does also put some wear and tear on them physically as well as mentally. Also, they have been exposed to a pretty rigid environment and it will take them a while to unlearn their entire life's lessons and have to start from scratch in a new career.

Some horses are simply not able to do that. Some are either too physically compromised, or mentally compromised for an amateur home. Unfortunately, this happens far too often, and then some poor child (and their parents) are out of pocket and sit with an unhappy situation where they are stuck with a horse they do not want / cannot use the way they had hoped. Some are nice enough to struggle along, but some (quite sensibly) are not, and will attempt to pass the horse along. Those are the ones we need to worry about because every time that happens, the Thoroughbred gets another black mark against its name and the riding world reinforces the impression that OTTB's are crazy, damaged and generally a bad investment.

Our 10% are struggling enough as it is for homes - we should not be compromising their chances by sending anything other than fantastic horses out there who do the breed proud and create a demand for them in the second career arena.

The really difficult cases are the ones where the horses are perfectly fine, but there may just not be the right person out there for them during their 'adoption window'. Maybe they just happen to be one too far back in the queue when those 10 homes are being filled. It happens.

So the question then is, what is a reasonable solution when you have a racehorse you no longer want for racing?

At this stage, the majority of owners seem to be struggling to pay regular keep for their horses while they are in training. I don't know too many people who are prepared to either pay for their horse for the rest of its natural life, or possibly invest in a few months' additional keep to have the animal produced for a second career and wait for their Prince or Princess to show up. Life usually doesn't work that way. So now what?

'Donate' them to a Horse Care Unit and make it their problem? Tell your trainer to find it a home? Is that really fair? Aren't you just passing the buck and the problem on to someone else? The NHA's rehoming rules state firmly that the responsibility lies with the registered owner to rehome a horse.

Perhaps it's time that we do face a few hard facts. If you are not prepared to rehome your horse, or pay for it to be retrained and then rehomed, maybe we need to man up and acknowledge our realistic choices.

So, next time you are considering rehoming a horse, remember that figure. 10%. And then ask yourself, do you feel lucky?

I believe that Mr Hawaii may have hit the nail on its head.

Carte Blanche most probably interviewed the MD of the NHRA and the press release was published after his interview in order to make him look like the saviour of the equine horse racing population after their carreers end.

There as no coincidences when it comes to the NHRA and its MD. Had Carte Blanche not taken up the issue, Mr Barends would have done nothing. If there is any positive change to be made, all accolades should go the people who brought the bush racing story to the attention of Carte Blanche.

It was only last year that the NHRA changed its rules about the aftercare of horses. For the NHRA MD to only now say that more changes are going to be made to the rules shows that the NHRA MD is nothing more than a personality similar to Donald Trump. He loves himself and will try and ake credit for everything and anything.

By the way, euthenasia has been around longer than most know. The Oppenheimers were prolific in euthenasing their horses. Think about it, have you seen the SA big owners selling their horses. They hardly sell. The NHRA has turned a blind eye to the big owners euthenasing their horses and not reporting it. I suggest that the NHRA gets its house in order asap before it makes promises which it most probably cannot keep. Euthenasia of horses has been the best kept tax secret until now.

Jurgs - it's not against the rules (or the law) to euthanise a horse.

Are you saying it should be? If so, why ?

It is my considered opinion that your thoughts with regards to Mr Barends' motivations are misplaced as I have discussed this issue with Mr Barends from the moment he took office and know it's not a sudden move on his behalf.

However, I am not going to lose sleep over whether I am wrong and you are right and rather be grateful for the fact that we finally seem to have someone in a position to make significant change who actually seems prepared to do so. So no matter what the motivation, if the end result is positive, I'll happily grab it with both hands.

I cannot understand how on the one hand horse racing continually talks about the welfare of the horse and on the other hand condones euthenasia. I believe in euthenasia if it will ease pain and suffering. I do not support it when it is a business decision or because someone no longer wants the responsibility of looking after the horse. I am a right to life type person. I appreciate that others have a different view. To each, their own. No debate will change my view.

Diring the tenure of Mr Barends, there has been some changes. He is not the person who made the changes. You give him to much credit. The changes he talks about now should have happened a long time ago and not be as a result of an in depth public piece on Carte Blanche.

I find that euthanasia is not a dirty word, I also find it acceptable for humans.

We come into this planet and have to wear nappies and cant talk, we then peak during our lifetime on which path we take, at the end we start to deteriorate, shit ourselves, have to be bathed like babies and lose dignity, that we might not evenbe aware of what is happening?

I am in total favour of euthanasia, but help from family is regarded as murder.

Its a funny old world and happy to sign the papers...........

Dave Scott wrote: I find that euthanasia is not a dirty word, I also find it acceptable for humans.

We come into this planet and have to wear nappies and cant talk, we then peak during our lifetime on which path we take, at the end we start to deteriorate, shit ourselves, have to be bathed like babies and lose dignity, that we might not evenbe aware of what is happening?

I am in total favour of euthanasia, but help from family is regarded as murder.

Its a funny old world and happy to sign the papers...........

Well said Dave.